Car-coupling.



' 0. 740,490. PATENTBD OCT. s, 1903.

. s. TOBIN.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNiTEn STATES Fatented October e, 1903.

SAMUEL TOBIN, OF EMME, PENNSYLVANIA.

oAR-oouPuNe.

.sPEQIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,490,- datedOctober 6, 1903.

Application filed April 6, 1903 Serial Nov 151 297. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that I, SAMUEL TOBIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Emme,in the county of Fayette, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof thelnventiomsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and

' more particularly to the class of pin-and-link insure passing of thepin through the open-.

' ing thereof before the pin is dropped, so that when the pin drops itwill not strike any portion of the link, but will pass freelytherethrough. v

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a construction whereinjamming of the support will be prevented and in which the spring of thesupport may be adjusted in tenslon.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure l is a section taken longitudinally through the coupler embodyingthe present invention, the coupling-pin being shown in elevation and insupported position and the link'in position to press the supportrearwardly. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the draw-bar and thesupports more in. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal horizontal section throughthe coupler with the coupling pin in engaging position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a coupler including a.drawhead 5,.

which is hollow and which has at one end the usual enlargement 6, whichis flared, as illustrated, and which communicates with the interior ofthe draw-head. The interior'of the draw-head, as well as the exterior,is rectangular in cross-section, and in the upper and lower wallsthereof are the longitudinal grooves or channels 7 and 8, which extendfrom the rear end of the draw-head to points adjacent to the front endand communicate with the alining perforations 9 and 10,formed,respectively, through the upper and lower walls of the draw-headadjacent to the enlargement.

The alining perforations 9 and Marc designed to receive the coupling-pin11, which is slidably engaged in the upper perforation and isadapted formovement therethrough into and out of engagement with the lowerperforation. The upper end of the couplingpin has a head 12, whichprevents passage of the coupling-pin downwardly out of the perforation7, and the lower end of the couplingpinis provided with a ferrule13,-which prevents the pin from being drawn upwardly out of saidperforation.

It is desired during the coupling operation to hold the pin with itslower end above the upper face of the concavity of the draw-head whenthe link is inserted and then to drop the pin through .the link, and forthis purpose a supportingblock or follower 14 is slidably disposed inthe draw-bar for movement longitudinally thereof, and said support haslongitudinal ribs 15 and 16 on its upper and lower faces, which slidablyengage the slots of channels in the upper and lower walls of'thedraw-bar, so that said ribs by contact with the front ends of thechannels will limit the forward movement of the supportingblock, so thatit will rest with its forward end slightly beyond the perforation 7 tosupport the coupling-pin, and when the block is moved rearwardly thepinwill be released and will drop into engagement with the lowerperforation.

From the rear end of the supporting-block extends a stem 17, andencircling this stem is a helical spring 18, which rests with itsforward end against the'block, while its rear end rests against the stop18 in the form of a guide-plate having a central opening through whichthe stem is slidably passed. Through the top and bottom of the draw-bar,

at the rear end thereof, are alining perforations 19 and 20, throughwhich are engaged pins 21, which stand at opposite sides of the stem andagainst which the guide-plate rests and is held by action of the helicalspring. By the interposition of blocks between the guide-plate and thevertical pins the guideplate may be moved forwardly and held with thespring under increased tension, it being understood that the springholds the supporting-block normally and yieldably at the forward limitof its motion and in position to support the coupling-pin.

With the supporting-block in position to support the coupling-pin andthe coupling link being held in the draw-head of another car the carsare brought together so that the link strikes the support and moves itrearwardly, so that it releases the pin, and the latter drops throughthe link. In order for the pin to pass through the link, however, it isnecessary that the link shall pass sufficiently far to the rear that itsends shall lie beyond the pin before the latter is dropped, and for thisreason the forward end of the supporting-block is recessed, so that theup per portion extends forwardly beyond the lower portion. The end ofthe supportingblock is beveled from its upper side to a line adjacent toits lower side, where a shoulder 22 is formed. If when the cars arebrought together the link is elevated, so that it will strike the upperportion of the supportingblock, it will be directed downwardly by thebeveled face and will not act to press the support rearwardly until ithas reached the shout der 23, at which time the front end portion of thelink will have passed beyond the couplingpin, so that when the linkmoves the support the pin will be dropped through the link. At theshoulder the end of the supporting-block is slightly recessed, so thatthe end of the link may be engaged therein to hold the link in properposition to enter the head of the coupler of the other car.

It will be noted that the lower end of the perforation '7 is countersunkto receive the ferrule at the lower end of the coupling-pin when thelatter is raised, and the draw-head is thickened to give a greaterbearing-surface for the coupling-pin.

To raise the pin, a rock-shaft 25 is mounted transversely of thedraw-head and has at one end a crank or handle 26 and at the other end acrank 27, which is connected to the head of the pin by means of thechain 28, so

that when the shaft is rocked the pin will be in position to cover thelower end of the upper perforation, a coupling-pin slidably mounted inthe upper perforation, and means for holding the supporting-blockyieldably at the forward limit of its movement.

2. A car-coupler comprising a draw-head having a cross-sectionallyangular passage therethrough having longitudinal channels in its upperand lower walls terminating short of its forward end, said draw-headhaving alining vertical perforations with which the channels communicateat their forward ends, a supporting-block slidably mounted in the headandhaving longitudinal ribs engaging the channels, said block having arecess in the lower portion of its front face and being beveledforwardly from said recess to the upper face of the block, the upper ribof the support terminating short of the forward end of the upper face ofthe block, an adjustable guide-block in the draw-head, a stem for thesupporting-block slidably engaged with the guide-block, a helical springdisposed upon the stem and resting with its ends against the guide-blockand supporting-block respectively, and pins engaged vertically throughthe draw-head and against which the guideblock rests.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL TOBIN.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. STURGIS, CHARLES R. UPHOLD.

